Forget that he was the team’s most improved player last year and that he had the best season ever by a Rockies catcher. In January, Chris Iannetta achieved another milestone.
He was chosen for the United States’ World Baseball Classic team.
“It still doesn’t seem real,” said Iannetta, 25, from Tucson, where he arrived early for spring training this week.
Remarkable is an apt word for how quickly things have changed for Iannetta.
Last March, general manager Dan O’Dowd sent a message with all the subtlety of a foul tip to the groin that Iannetta might need a Triple-A refresher course. By May, he had won the starting job, unseating Yorvit Torrealba. By season’s end, Iannetta had emerged as one of baseball’s most productive catchers.
His 18 home runs ranked fifth in the major leagues for his position, his 65 RBIs seventh. For the Rockies to be potential contenders, Iannetta’s continued development as a right-handed offensive force in the middle of the lineup is critical.
“He’s a hardworking, blue-collar guy,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “And he knows there’s no pressure. It’s a team game.”
Manager Clint Hurdle isn’t thrilled with Iannetta’s decision to play in the WBC, preferring to have him in camp to work with the pitching staff. Iannetta will be in Tucson for 10 days but could miss up to three weeks, leaving Hurdle to suggest that Torrealba might start on opening day.
“After ’07, nobody wanted anybody but Yorvit to catch. And now nobody wants anybody but Chris,” Hurdle said. “He established himself offensively and defensively last season, and now he’s going to be out three-to-four weeks and get, what, 20-to-25 at-bats? That is a challenge.”
Iannetta understands the club’s fears, but he didn’t make a rash decision. He was told he would receive adequate playing time in the WBC, pairing with Atlanta’s Brian McCann, and discussed the issue with teammates.
“If they had said, ‘You need to be here,’ I would have declined. I know most of our pitchers,” Iannetta said. “I think when I return, the learning curve will be quick.”
Iannetta’s career began to take off last spring after a batting practice session with outfielders Brad Hawpe and Matt Holliday. Hawpe advised him to stop worrying so much about his swing’s “load” position, and Holliday taught him how to drive the outside pitch with more authority.
“I was always trying to stay inside the ball, waiting for the perfect pitch. I was now able to get better extension and learned to pull the ball with power without hooking it,” Iannetta said. “The season started with a couple of good games, and I felt like I was an asset, not a liability.”
Holliday now calls Iannetta a “perennial all-star talent.” Mindful of his rapid ascension, Iannetta’s focus remains on improving his game.
“I need to get better in a lot of areas — my throwing, my game-calling and assuming more of a leadership role,” Iannetta said
He knows there are concerns about his arm. While the Rockies were lax at holding runners, Iannetta makes no excuses for throwing out just 8-of-49 base-stealers last season.
“I worked all offseason to get in a better throwing position. I was always rushing because they were getting good jumps,” Iannetta said. “If we throw more strikes, that won’t be the case.”
While few people believe the Rockies will rebound and make the postseason, Iannetta believes it’s possible.
“Everyone wants to pinpoint why we were bad,” Iannetta said. “I don’t think it had anything to do with distractions or lack of focus. A lot of stuff just didn’t go our way. If we pitch and play defense, we are going to win a lot of games.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
